I am a Data Science major at City Tech. I pay for college using FAFSA and TAP. My biggest challenge with funding college has been having to pay the borrowing company back the money while also having to pay $34 a week for MetroCards/OMNY. In terms of infrastructure, our elevators do not work, and one side of our campus is under construction.
Norm Miller
Nuriyah Richardson
I am a Junior at SUNY Purchase studying Political Science with the goal of becoming a criminal defense attorney. I am the first in my family to go to school, and I have found that there is a lack of guidance and understanding of finances. It makes it hard to follow a timeline of responsibilities needed to be done. I get financial aid, private loans, and still have to pay a portion out of pocket. I work two jobs on top of an internship and this still doesn’t make ends meet. Jobs and internships also require funds for transportation or they cut into my time needed to be at work to afford school. I have struggled with receiving scholarships or grants to help me pay and feel a lack of support in getting this aid.
Luis Joel Gonzalez
I am majoring in Paralegal Studies at Bronx Community College. After graduating, I hope to eventually go to law school and become a lawyer. Financial aid from PELL and TAP pays for my college. Before I joined ASAP, books and transportation were my greatest challenge paying for college because some textbooks, especially law textbooks, are expensive. My Family Law textbook was over $500 and is more than 10 years old, so the professor said it’s outdated. I have also had trouble with TAP coverage. The eligibility should be changed to include prerequisite classes that you have to take in order to take classes that are part of your degree program because TAP wouldn’t pay for those. Within my program, I have also struggled with class scheduling. We have to take three elective law classes, however they always offer the same ones over and over every semester, so the students struggle to meet this requirement. On a separate note, I’ve had some really good professors that are really approachable and want to help and the LGBT Resource Center here is really helpful. However, we have no dedicated paralegal studies advisors despite it being a specialized major offered. Due to the lack of advisors, my graduation date gas been delayed (I should have graduated last semester). The classes are only offered every other semester, so if you miss it you have to wait an entire year. The school needs to be able to invest more in advising and class opportunities for my program. Our infrastructure also needs improvement. One semester, there was no heat for a few weeks, so we had no classes. Only about half of the buildings are ADA accessible.
Dhiya Kassim
I am a Computer Information Systems major at Bronx Community College. I am planning to further pursue higher education by transferring to a four year school after I finish here. I fund college through financial aid like FAFSA and TAP, but find that the TAP is not user-friendly. I live with my parents so they really help me a lot, but I did have to quit my part time job to study, so I rely more on my parents than I would like to. My parents did not go to college, so I don’t always know what to do because no one before me has ever done it. I have trouble with class options, some classes only have online asynchronous and those ones are really hard for me because there is no teacher and no specific class time which has caused me to fail a class. Advisors here don’t really explain anything to you. However, a lot of professors here are really good and seem like they care. ASAP is also a good program; they offer the MetroCard which really helps. Our school needs to be able to invest more in infrastructure. The projectors don’t work in a lot of classes, the computers are really old and don’t work. There are always issues with the heat/air conditioning. In my first semester, we had no classes for two weeks because there was no heat. Some classrooms don’t have air conditioning, and the windows don’t open, so in the warm months, it’s so hot you can’t even pay attention.
Andrew Ackie
I am a freshman at Brooklyn College. I had started college back in 2010 and stopped due to work taking precedence. Working on large commercial city projects, I had very little time to focus on my schoolwork. However, due to the cost-effective nature of the CUNY system and the high return on investment I’d get from attending Brooklyn College, I thought I’d give it another go and get my Bachelor’s in Political Science and Psychology. While I do believe I am getting a valuable education, I’ve recently had to deal with unease and uncertainty about my financial aid getting approved, which has made me unable to fully focus on my studies. Every moment I was ruminating about the possibility of being forced to leave school and be unable to come back unless I was to pay almost four thousand dollars out of pocket. I believe that school should not cost as much as it does. The high tuition only creates barriers for people to get an education and limits the number of educated people who could make effective contributions to society, such as creating jobs.
Melissa Queliz
I am a senior at Brooklyn College. I started going to Brooklyn College in Fall 2024 to pursue a degree in Political Science. I had gone to a SUNY previously to study illustration, and took a break after graduating. During this break, I realized that I had a passion for current affairs, the exploitation happening in the global south, and the current global climate. Knowing that CUNY, specifically Brooklyn College, was nearby, had a strong political science program, and was the most affordable option, I decided this was the place for me. I believe that I am getting a good return on investment for this degree for several reasons. The political science degree is rather small, meaning that there is more individualized focus from faculty who are heavily invested in the information that they teach. There is also a great focus on diversity and student life; there are many groups and resources for students that contribute to my success and overall well-being, such as NYPIRG. I feel like I am a part of a blossoming community that wants me to succeed. If I did not have to worry about tuition, I would have started school earlier and would not have to work as hard while in school. I also would have been a full-time student for a longer period, as while I was a full-time student, I could not work and had issues with financial insecurity. Financial aid should not be just about merit, but it should be about the fundamental need for education to become a well-rounded individual and excel in life.
Duncan Higgins
I am a junior at SUNY New Paltz. My major is history, and when I graduate, I want to go into policymaking as a career. I pay for college out of pocket, and the biggest challenge in paying has been around the costs of food and textbooks. I also see a need for increased funding from the state for SUNY counseling offices and infrastructure on campus. Counseling offices typically close early and don’t account for student flexibility. Renovations on campus have made accessibility to certain buildings more difficult, and there have also been instances where appliances such as card readers or the elevators have stopped working in dormitories, blocking access to things such as the kitchen or laundry rooms.
Travon Peters, College of Staten Island
I am a senior at the College of Staten Island, studying English. When I graduate, I hope to become a speech language pathologist. I pay for college with TAP and other financial aid, but that does not cover the full cost of attending college. Since my mom is the only one working in my household, I have also taken on side jobs and I try to get as much overtime as possible, but when other expenses come up, it becomes challenging to keep up with everything. It is difficult to balance work and school at the same time. Even with financial aid, there are still a lot of out-of-pocket costs that I need to manage on my own. I believe that the TAP award amount should be increased to better support students who are trying to stay in school and manage financial challenges. I am part of the ASAP program, and the MetroCard they provide really helps, but it still doesn’t cover everything. Since CSI removed the direct bus to campus, commuting has become even more difficult. It takes me about three hours to get to school and back. Those long rides add extra stress and costs. During the semester, I often have to make tough decisions between buying a textbook or covering my daily expenses. Being in a single-income household makes it hard to keep up with everything, and even though programs like ASAP make a difference, there’s still a big gap between what students actually need and what we can afford. I think more needs to be done to help commuter students. Traveling across boroughs every day can be exhausting and expensive, and not everyone has easy access to resources on campus. Providing more transportation support or commuter assistance would take a lot of stress off students who are trying to balance everything at once. Additionally, class offerings have been a challenge for me at CSI. One of the biggest problems is that classes fill up really quickly, especially during the off-semester or when you’re trying to fit your schedule around work. Sometimes the times that are left don’t match with my availability, so I end up taking classes that are harder to manage just to stay on track. Campus infrastructure at CSI could also be improved, overall the campus is decent, but there are areas that could be better. Some classrooms and buildings feel outdated, and the elevators or computers don’t always work properly. When things like that happen, it slows down learning and makes the environment less motivating. The computers in the labs can be slow or outdated, which makes it hard to complete assignments on time, especially when you’re trying to balance class, work, and a long commute. Sometimes, small things, like technical problems or limited resources, make the learning experience more stressful than it needs to be. Keeping the facilities well-maintained would really help students feel more supported and comfortable on campus.
Samantha Ortiz, Hunter College
I’m a junior at Hunter College majoring in Art History & Arts Management and Leadership, looking to work in the non profit and for profit arts in NYC. I pay for college with FAFSA, TAP, Pell Grant with the rest by working while going to school. The size of TAP has been an issue for me because I have to pay a lot due to my parents income but they do not contribute to my colleges fees at all. I am a first generation student and its difficult to not grow in an environment that does not prioritize studying. I have fair fares which cuts my fare rate in half but its still money taken away from school fees.This semester i bought a textbook that was almost $300 and I still had to buy other books.And for food,I rarely eat as I do not qualify for food stamps if I live with my parents even if I pay for my own things. This is the reality of many students in New York City. Advisement is not well suited for directing students to the proper places and often set a student back. I’ve been taking matters into my own hands regarding assistance with campus resources and my degree path. The buildings are dilapidated. There are nasty water leaks on one floor and broken tables in equipment on the next.In a class,a chair was broken and when I sat it stabbed me in the leg because metal was jutting out.In the womens restroons there are missing ceiling tiles and actual tiles in the bathrooms inside and over the stalls which make me worry that someone may have purposely done that or purposely not fixed it for nefarious reasons. The state of these buildings does not strike me with the joy that one should have when walking into college.
Shifa Giash, City College of NY
I’m a communications major and I hope to work in marketing one day. I pay for college through financial aid and government loans. The thing I struggle with most about the cost of college is definitely paying for living costs while in school as the aid does not cover dorming for things like transit and food costs.